This project argues that while 21st century cultural representations of gender and race have become slightly more complex, representations of disability remain virtually unchanged. This is due in part to the cultural need for normalization in the face of drama.This project focuses on two social problem films: William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives, a postwar era film that tells of the homecoming of three World War II veterans and the challenges they face as they try to re-integrate into society, and Irwin Winkler's Home of the Brave (2006), a 21st century film that similarly portrays the homecoming of three Iraq War veterans and the re-integration challenges they face individually. In each of these films, I examine portrayals of gender, race, and disability, noting the differences and similarities between the dominant representations in The Best Years of Our Lives and those featured in Home of the Brave.
